by Isabella Blakeley (‘26)

In the film Gattaca, starring Ethan Hawk and Uma Thurman, an imperfect man attempts to reach perfection. The protagonist, Vincent, wishes to travel to space but because of his ‘genetic imperfections’ is denied this opportunity. Throughout the movie, he imitates another genetically perfect man, Jerome, to achieve his dream. He is presented with challenge after challenge; not only to prove his perfection to his boss and even his coworkers, but to protect his true identity from those with ill intentions. At the end of the movie, Vincent gets to travel to space as Jerome decides to take his own life as a result of his newfound paralysis and thus, because of the societal pressure to be perfect, believes he no longer should live. This movie is a masterfully made tragedy, a perfect intersection of the pitfalls of new technologies and the blurry line genetic engineering presents. It brings to light the ethicality of achieving perfection as well as the problems that occur when someone fails.

Genetic engineering–also commonly referred to as genetic modification– is the process in which laboratories alter an organism’s DNA to delete or gain a desired expressed trait. Most often, it is a complicated and delicate process to engineer something and thus it comprises many steps. The main steps are to find and clone the DNA that controls the expressed trait, insert foreign DNA into the plasmids of the new organism, and cross the gene for an elite background. The main technology scientists use for this is called CRISPR-Cas9, which allows scientists to enter new and specific DNA for a variety of uses. Such uses include that of vaccines and crop alterations. However, some scientists are testing the CRISPR-Cas9 technology on mice to look towards possible applications for humans. 

As with most developments, many people have reservations about genetic alterations. Mostly, these reservations come from the possibility of embryo engineering, the process of altering an embryo in utero for desired traits. These reservations can be sorted into 2 categories; ‘ethical, moral, and religious obligations’ and’ risk reservations’. Ethical reservations most often stem from the idea of premeditated life and human nature. Many critics believe that altering embryos is interfering with human nature by creating designer babies with desired traits. This means that if the parents of a baby wish to change their eye color to green instead of his ‘predetermined’ blue, they could do so. They could also promote traits and add more ‘desirable’ traits, such as increased expectant height– as is the case with Jerome in Gattaca. Jerome had the perfect athletic traits, which made him well-suited for swimming and athletic feats. But in Vincent’s case, he was noticeably shorter and less athletically apt for swimming, so he would have a harder time in the water. Jerome’s advantages stem from the genetic engineering that he received in utero. This also promotes a social stigma and class separation, as genetically engineering ‘designer babies’ was something that the rich did in the film that not everyone had access to. However, failure to receive the ‘perfect traits’ resulted in lesser-paying jobs and being looked down upon. Also, some believe that a preference for certain traits, even if they do not affect overall health, may create an unfair expectation of aesthetic traits. For example, always preferring green eyes to blue or brown, could create a ‘lesser view’ on those with blue or brown eyes, as they are not what is ‘preferred’. 

Besides the aesthetic bias or moral objections, some reservations also stem from the risk factors associated with genetic engineering. Because this is a fairly new technology, tests on human embryos are minimal. Currently, most experiments are conducted on crops or on mice and since this 21st-century technology, there are still many wrinkles to smooth out before embryo engineering is introduced at a mass scale. For example, entering an ‘anti-resistance’ gene into a human embryo which would have had resistance previously, opens the opportunity for genetic alterations to be used with bad intentions. Also, it is possible that some of the genes do not express the trait correctly and could create more problems than it would have solved. And, as in the case of genetically modified corn, if a disease specific to that type of corn spreads, the whole species is at risk of becoming extinct. In other words, a lack of genetic diversity could cause an increased risk of mass extension that would not have been a concern otherwise. 

On the other hand, genetic engineering of embryos may have many positive applications. Because genetic engineering would (with improved technology of course)allow scientists to have every expressed trait at their fingertips. Meaning, that the population could become smarter as a whole since you could make every human have rare traits, like photographic memories. They could also use these technologies to prevent or even eradicate devastating genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s disease. This could elongate many lives and help completely avoid the sadness and pain associated with these diseases.  Also, genetic engineering has helped create human insulin and the Hepatitis B vaccine. These specific applications have saved many lives throughout their lifetimes and will continue to save the lives of millions more. Considering genetic engineering for the prevention and eradication of diseases may help to save lives and improve the human condition as a whole. 

Furthermore, genetically engineered crops, such as golden rice or corn, have allowed many populations to get more nutrition from their lacking diets. In this way, the use of genetic modifications may help people endure famine or droughts, and this saves even more lives. These modifications could also change the very metabolism so that those with less nutritional availability can survive and pass on their traits to another generation. And, where genetic diversity is concerned, scientists could help to diversify and preserve dying traits. These positive applications could not only benefit new populations but also help old populations to continue to thrive.

Because of the embryonic manipulations, the people of Gatica experienced an extremely advanced society that was both streamlined and biased toward perfection. Genetic modifications have many ethical pitfalls, including that it may increase prejudice and discrimination between people and further divide the social classes. It also may destroy genetic variation which increases the chances of a gene-specific disease eradicating the population. However, genetically modified babies could help combat illnesses like Hep-B and prevent genetic disorders. They could also provide more nutrient-dense food to struggling populations and help improve the lives of future generations. While still very new, genetic engineering will change the future of science as a whole, as it opens up new pathways for embryonic and societal development.